5010 Conversion Study: Disappointing, but Hopeful

Seventy-one percent of respondents to a recent online poll reported that they are using 5010 with more than half of their payers and providers.

The poll – which asked the question “Which of the following best describes your status with 5010 use as of 2012?” – was conducted during Talk Ten Tuesday, ICD10monitor.com’s live weekly podcast.

Twenty-nine percent of respondents reported that they only are using 5010, with less than 25 percent, the remainder, indicating that the question wasn’t applicable to their situation.

“I see the results as disappointing, but hopeful,” said Stanley Nachimson, principal of the healthcare consulting firm Nachimson Advisors, LLC. “A little over half of the respondents are in pretty good shape, but that number, to me, should be 80-90 percent or more.”

Nachimson at one time was an official for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, when the agency was working on the initial set of HIPAA transaction standards that went into effect in 2003. That version is now being replaced by the new 5010 version of the transactions.

Nachimson noted similarities between industry participation in adopting 5010 and the industry actions during the previous implementation of HIPAA standards.

“As an industry, we need to find a way to meet deadlines so that we can move on to other tasks (like ICD-10),” Nachimson said. “Much of the 5010 input to health plans is data converted from 4010 transactions sent by providers, so they really haven't met the spirit of the standards.”

Echoing that sentiment was Annie Boynton, director of 5010/ICD-10 Communication, Adoption and Training at UnitedHealth Group.

“Every minute of time in 2012 that is spent on 5010 is time taken away from much needed ICD-10 implementation planning in 2012 and 2013,” Boynton said. “It is imperative that any organization diligently seek out 5010 compliance as soon as possible to prevent delays in ICD-10 compliance long term.”

Poll Results

Which of the following best describes your status with 5010 use as of 2012?